Swords of Sorrow: The Complete Saga TPB

I have reviewed books before on my blog (mainly novels) but I have never before reviewed a Graphic Novel (GN) or Trade Paperback (TPB). Until now. Some of you may know that I'm comic collecting geek, although my tastes are far from mainstream. Naturally, my favourite comic heroine is Vampirella. I tend to prefer comics featuring the so called "bad girls" of the comics industry - Bomb Queen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chastity, Harley Quinn, Lady Death, Purgatori, She-Hulk and Zombie Tramp, being the main ones. I'm also a huge fan of the 2000AD comic and almost all of their stories. And for sheer quirkiness I love the Girl Genius books. The hugely popular comic heroes such as Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Spiderman, Wolverine, X-Men and the big franchises like Star Wars and Transformers have little to no appeal to me, although I am aware of them. I have often thought of doing a blog about comics and graphic novels that I like in much the same way as Blaxkleric does so superbly with The Brown Bag but I fear it would attract even fewer readers than Simon's. All of this is just a preamble to let you know where I stand when it comes to comics, GNs and TPBs. I like them a lot!
Swords of Sorrow: The Complete Saga is an epic book, and I do mean EPIC! It runs to 530 pages, of which 503 is story, and features all 21 issues of Dynamite Entertainment's biggest crossover event to date. The actual Swords of Sorrow story itself only took up six issues but it also featured many spin-off mini-series and one-shots. I only collected the six issue main series and the four issue mini-series featuring Vampirella. So, much of this TPB was new to me. It was written by Gail Simone with help on the mini-series and one-shots from Emma Bebby, Nancy A. Collins, Mikki Kendall, Leah Moore, Erica Schultz, Mairghread Scott and G. Willow Wilson, and featuring artwork by Sergio Davila (main series), Dave Acosta, Mirka Andolfo, Ronilson Freire, Francesco Manna, Rod Rodolfo, Noah Salonga and Crizam Zamora!

The good trio - Dejah Thoris, Red Sonja and Vampirella

THE STORY. A mysterious woman known only as The Traveller journeys across time, space and dimensions, bestowing magical ebony blades (the eponymous Swords of Sorrow) to a trio of female adventurers - Dejah Thoris, Red Sonja and Vampirella. Her mission is to prepare a last line of defence against the Prince of All Universes, a lovelorn despot with the power to shatter realities. To further aid the heroic trio, the Traveller also enlists the aid of other mighty women such as Athena, Black Sparrow, Eva (Daughter of Dracula), Irene Adler, Jane Porter (aka Lady Greystoke), Jennifer Blood, Jana the Jungle Girl, Kato, Lady Rawhide, Lady Zorro, Masquerade, Miss Fury, Pantha, Red Riding Hood and Voodoo Childe. These women were also given magical blades. United by the Swords of Sorrow, these spirited women must face not only the Prince's powerful Shard Men, but such agents of Chaos as Bad Kitty, Chastity, Mistress Hel and Purgatori.
The heroines are recruited in diverse pairs, which we as readers get to know more about through the one-shot issues and mini-series. These teams-ups feature in alphabetical order, Black Sparrow and Lady Zorro (one-shot), the Chaos Quartet prequel (one shot), Dejah Thoris and Irene Adler (3 part mini-series), Masquerade and Kato (one-shot), Miss Fury and Lady Rawhide (one-shot), Pantha and Jane Porter (one-shot), Red Sonja and Jungle Girl (3 part mini-series) and Vampirella and Jennifer Blood (4 part mini-series).

The bad quartet - Bad Kitty, Purgatori, Mistress Hel and Chastity

From the introduction to the book, Gail Simone writes, "You will notice these stories run concurrently and some issues take place in small moments during others. So you may ask: How do I go about reading this? We have presented the saga in the order that the issues were published to preserve continuity. This way, you will read the story as it originally unfolded, and won't come to the end of one series and have to backtrack by starting another. This is how we recommend reading this story... at least the first time." This works perfectly fine for me although I have read some folk criticising the book for being too confusing. Nah! It isn't!
THE VERDICT. I bloody well loved it! Yes, every single page! In fact, I'd go so far to say that this is one of the best TPBs I have ever read! Obviously, my main focus was upon Vampirella and she was well served in terms of screen time, scripting and artwork. The team up between Vampi and Jennifer Blood worked extremely well. Jennifer, by the way, is very much a female version of the Punisher from Marvel Comics. Some of the team-ups seemed a little odd, like Dejah Thoris and Irene Adler, but worked surprisingly well. What made this series work so brilliantly was the quality of the writing. Gail collected the best female writers in the business and got them to pull out all the stops, making full use of their talent and energy. Obviously with so many artists working on the series the artwork varies but thankfully, none of it is sub-standard. Overall, the quality is good to very good. Going back to Gail's introduction, she wrote, "for THIS crossover, I didn't want the usual boring stuff. I wanted a rough and tumble, fun and sexy, scary and action-packed classic epic. Subtlety be damned. I wanted something that felt like the creators of all these characters got together in a room after a three-day bender and just JAMMED. So that's what we did. We assembled a team of the best writers and artists we could find and just threw every firecracker we could right into the gunpowder factory. I hope you like it." Oh, I did! I liked it very much! In fact I like it enough to award it a 9 out of 10 rating. Why not a 10 out of 10? The artwork, whilst uniformly good, could have been improved by a higher calibre of artists. That said, I have no hesitation in recommending this TPB to any one with even a passing interest in comics. Ultimately though, how much you will want to buy this will depend very much on how you feel about the characters portrayed within its pages and also your feelings on "girl power." This book is ALL about girl power and I certainly don't have a problem with that!
Swords of Sorrow: The Complete Saga costs £22.50 from Amazon UK but I suggest you do what I did and check out the list of sellers offering new or old copies on behalf of Amazon. I got a new copy for just £12, saving me over a tenner from the official Amazon price. That was an absolute bargain for such a hefty tome!

THW - High Moon Rulebook

It seems like a very long time since I last reviewed anything by Two Hour Wargames (THW). That's simply because I haven't bought anything new from them... until recently. One supplement in particular, High Moon: Dead Reckoning had me very excited for a number of reasons. First up, it was both a supplement to the excellent Six Gun Sound Wild West rulebook as well as a stand alone rulebook in itself. Secondly, it introduces Weird West elements to the genre with rules for Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Warlocks and Zombies, either as heroes or villains. Cool!

Wild West gaming in 28mm scale is something I'd love to get into if only I could find the time. I already own a large collection of 28mm scale Wild West figures (most need re-basing and repainting, however) and a load of card model buildings I could use (sadly, all unmade). I had already decided that if I ever succumbed to the urge to take up Wild West gaming seriously then Six Gun Sound would be my "go to" rules. They really are superb and far more detailed than most THW rulebooks. Taking on this challenge, assuming I decide to, will require a large investment in time but fortunately, not in money. Although, having said that, I'm sure I could find plenty of new figures I'd want to buy. That's always the way, isn't it?

High Moon adds a whole new dimension to the Wild West genre and that is, of course, the supernatural. You could use High Moon without referencing the supernatural elements. It is basically a streamlined and simpler version of Six Gun Sound. But that surely misses the point. What makes High Moon stand out are its detailed rules for the creatures of the night. Let's take a closer look at them.

Vampires are fast and very hard to kill. This manifests itself in a number of ways. When rolling for Activation, a Vampire may roll twice if desired and choose the highest result. This Attribute is called Precognition. A Special Ability called Blinding Speed works whenever a Vampire is fired upon by a ranged weapon. The Vampire rolls 1d6 vs. its Rep.  If it passes 1d6, the hit becomes a miss. If it passes 0d6 or rolls a 6, the hit remains. Another Attribute they have is Dread, meaning all Vampires cause Terror, which can affect opponents in a variety of negative ways. As with traditional Vampires they have one special disability - an aversion to sunlight. Prolonged exposure to sunlight will kill them. All damage from normal weapons is reduced in severity against Vampires. Silver bullets or silver tipped weapons may cause normal damage but not always!
If you feel up to a challenge, you can play a Vampire Hunter, a special breed of human, trained to hunt and kill Vampires. They are more attuned to vampire lore than normal humans.

Werewolves (or Were-creatures as you can also encounter Werebears or Werecoyotes) are more pack-oriented creatures than most supernatural beings. A Werewolf's Special Attributes are Causes Terror (as Vampires do) and Leap, which allows the Werewolf to leap onto the roof of a single storey building or move 8" across the ground. They have a Special Attribute called Fast Mover, which allows them to take the Fast Move test with 3d6 instead of 2d6 and counting all results. A Were-creature can transform from human to animal or back again in one complete Turn. As with Vampires, silver bullets or silver-tipped weapons may harm a Werewolf. If hit by a normal bullet when in human form, the Werewolf will transform on the next turn it is active.

Witches (male Witches are called Warlocks) are very rare, secretive and tend to be loners but they are powerful spell casters. A Witch has two Special Attributes. First is Blink which is used if the Witch wins a Draw! or In Sight test. The Witch rolls 1d6 vs her Rep. If successful, the Witch disappears and reappears 6 + 1d6" behind the opponent. Secondly, all Witches possess Casting, the ability to use Magic Spells. Spells take the form of Damage (offensive), Dazzle (distraction) or Defend (protection). The specifics are left up to you to decide. Some Witches may know Speciality Magic which takes two forms - Potions and Challenge Spells (these are spells not covered by the three main categories). Note that if a Witch is carrying any weapon except for a knife, she can not cast spells.

Zombies come in two types - normal mindless flesh-eating Zombies or Smart Zombies, who retain some intelligence and can still use guns. A Zombie's only Attribute is Sanity Check, taken by anyone who sees a Zombie Feast for the first time. Unlike in other settings, Zombies in the Wild West have three interesting quirks. First is called Fear of God. If within 6" and Line of Sight of a Preacher, Zombies stop and take the Charge Into Melee test. If the Preacher wins and remains stationary, the zombie will not approach him. Second is called It's a Lady! Female humans and Witches can have a distracting effect on male Zombies. If within 6" and Line of Sight of a female for the first time, a Zombie will stop in place and forfeit a Turn of Activation. On its next Turn the Zombie sees the female as a meal instead of a Lady. Finally, is Cat Fight! Female Zombies have an uncontrollable dislike of female humans and Witches. If within 6" and Line of Sight to a female, the female Zombie will immediately Charge Into Melee. Male Zombies within 6" and Line of Sight will stop and not move until the fight has been resolved.

Having read this supplement I am very keen to try it out. I like the detailed rules of Six Gun Sound, but I know some folk will be looking for something simpler and quicker to play. High Moon would seem to be the solution. Most of the basic rules have been tweaked to simplify game-play. One major change is that there are now only two Reaction tables to learn - Being Shot At and Man Down, which will please a lot of people. Anyone familiar with any of the THW rulebooks should have no problem in using High Moon.

You can purchase High Moon from the THW webstore - http://www.twohourwargames.com/himodere.html at $17.00 for a PDF version or $20.00 for a printed version. I highly recommend this product to anyone interested in looking for a Weird West setting and I award this book a 9 out of 10 rating. Yes, it is that good. Although I haven't reviewed Six Gun Sound yet, if I had it would score a perfect 10 out of 10.

Under a Graveyard Sky by John Ringo

Faith takes a breather from killing zombies.

Zombies! There's just no escaping them. I know some of you will be thinking, "thank God Vampifan has stopped doing his posts about Chibi fantasy figures!" No names mentioned, but you know who you are! Well, sorry to disappoint you but this is just a short break from my SDE stuff.
It has been a long time since I read a zombie novel. A couple of weeks ago I read a review of a zombie novel called Under a Graveyard Sky by John Ringo on Shelldrake's Zombie Wargame Blog run by my good friend Ian, aka Patient Zero, administrator of the Board of the Living Lead forum. See here - http://zombiewargame.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/john-ringos-black-tide-rising-zombie.html
Ian liked this novel because the hero was an Aussie and Ian lives in Australia. I was interested in reading it because a) it's a zombie apocalypse novel, b) I'm happy to be persuaded by other people's recommendations and c) I've read a few of John Ringo's sci-fi novels and very much enjoyed them. So I had high hopes of this novel, which, by the way, is part one of a proposed four-part series called Black Tide Rising.
The story focuses on a family of four who are well prepared for almost any disaster, including a zombie apocalypse, which they never believed would happen. Steven John "Wolf" Smith is a naturalised American citizen, former Australian paratrooper and most recently, a high school history teacher. His wife, Stacey aka "Momma Wolf" is a first class mechanic and self-professed geek. They have two daughters, Sophia aka "Seawolf," a 15-year old student, who is good looking, level-headed and intelligent, and Faith aka "Shewolf," a 13-year old firebrand who is very tall for her age and who takes to killing zombies like a duck to water. The family have a survival plan, which they employ as soon as they receive advance news of the upcoming zombie plague from Steve's brother, Tom. Tom works in a private research facility as a scientist and his company is well aware of the threat a newly discovered plague poses. The Smith family grab a boat, stock it full of supplies and head out to sea. A good plan. However, things change dramatically, when they find other boats at sea, whose crews need rescuing. Rather than ignore them they do the right thing and help them. So begins their new mission - save humanity - one boat at a time. This they do in a small way by rescuing anyone in distress at sea, as well as clearing out boats that are overrun with the infected.
Steve is an excellent strategist and a charismatic leader. Stacey excels at ship repairs. Sophia becomes a highly competent helmswoman. And Faith, well, she truly excels at killing zombies. Not only is she VERY good at killing them but she thoroughly enjoys killing them. Soon the family have a flotilla of ships under their command, which they name Wolf Squadron. Most of the world's population were wiped out by the zombie plague but there still remains pockets of humanity. The US Navy suffered catastrophic loses but many of their submarine fleet remained safe. Those in the vicinity of Steve's ragtag collection of survivors take a keen interest in what he is doing and make their presence known. I won't spoil things by saying whether they help or hinder Wolf Squadron.
The book is fast-paced, very exciting and quite humourous. John Ringo is a military veteran, so he knows the jargon and writes very believable scenes and dialogue relating to all things military. The stand out character in the book is 13-year old Faith who steals every scene she is in. Yes, she is a zombie killer par excellence, but her fight scenes are handled realistically. Personally speaking, whenever Faith appears in the book, my face just lights up. She is very much larger than life but I love her. As one Gunnery Sergeant said to her, "damn, I wish you were legal so I could ask you to marry me!" She makes a lasting impression on everyone she meets and especially on this viewer.
I am about half way through the second novel in the series, To Sail a Darkling Sea and it is every bit as good as the first novel. Book three, Strands of Sorrow is released in paperback format at the end of this month. I will be buying it on that day. This a series that I can highly recommend. I'm happy to give Under a Graveyard Sky a 9 out of 10 rating only because it ends rather abruptly, leaving you wanting more. I ordered my copy from Amazon UK, where the paperback version is currently on sale for £6.50. The Kindle edition costs £4.49.

Twilight - the Awakening by Stephen Gilbert

I have recently become very good friends with Stephen Gilbert, an author, games designer and zombie fanatic. Inspired by my blog, he got in touch with me to chat about all things to do with zombies. He is planning on running his own zombie apocalypse campaign using 15mm scale figures. Hopefully, when he's ready he'll chronicle it in his own blog. As we got chatting I learned that he had written a zombie novel, which was published in 2009. The novel is called Twilight - the Awakening and was going to be the start of  a series of zombie apocalypse novels. Originally, it was supposed to be a promotional novel for Hasslefree Miniatures' range of contemporary adventurers and zombies. Many of the characters in the book are named after some of the Hasslefree adventurers and you may recognise their names. However, HF pulled the plug on the project and refused to pay Stephen for his work. So, Stephen went ahead and found someone else to publish his novel.
Two things about the novel greatly embarrass Stephen and I do apologise to him for mentioning them. First up, he was in such a hurry to get the book published that he neglected to proofread it properly. I won't say there are a lot of spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in the book because there aren't. However, there are enough that they do become noticeable. Secondly, it is an unfortunate coincidence that Stephenie Meyer brought out her Twilight novel just before Stephen and now the word "Twilight" has become synonymous with sparkly vampires and hunky werewolves much loved by hordes of teenage girls.
So, on to the plot of Stephen's novel. It is set in the near future in England. The hero of the story is a former school teacher, Ray Matsuyama Timoshenko, who is based on Hasslefree's figure of Ray, aka their version of Shaun of the Dead. Ray is in a loveless marriage and has one daughter with whom he has an on/off relationship. He finds solace in alcohol and in the arms of another woman, Geraldine Fletcher, who is also going through a bad marriage. They often meet up in a local hotel run by Madge and Gerald Patterson. All four become good friends and it is during a stay at the hotel for Ray and Geraldine that the zombie apocalypse begins. What caused 95% of the world's population to die and reanimate as flesh eating zombies was a rogue asteroid that broke up high above our planet. Microscopic particles from the asteroid entered our atmosphere and affected the vast majority of the population. A lucky few proved to be immune to the space virus but there seemed to be no logical pattern or reason why so few people were immune.
I won't spoil the plot of the novel by saying who lives and who dies but Ray ends up leading a ragtag assortment of survivors looking for shelter and safety. One other drastic consequence of the asteroid breaking up was that it knocked the earth a few degrees of its axis and very swiftly the weather turned into a nuclear winter. Now the few remaining humans left alive not only have to deal with the undead menace but lethally cold weather. Things look very grim for Ray and his friends.
I enjoyed this novel a lot. Knowing who most of the characters were from their Hasslefree Miniatures counterparts helped me to picture them in my mind's eye and that was a big help. It is a hard hitting novel and many of the small band of survivors meet untimely and horrific endings. You can tell that this was meant to be part one of an ongoing series but Stephen has admitted that it seems unlikely that he'll write any more novels in this series. With a page count of 239 pages and a large typeface this is a book you can read very quickly. But it did keep me entertained from start to finish.
Alas, it is hard to ignore the typos but I respect Stephen for admitting they are entirely his fault. Also, it was just bad luck that the other Twilight novel turned out to be such a smash hit. The book is published by Lulu Marketing and can be found here - http://www.lulu.com/shop/stephen-gilbert/twilight-the-awakening/paperback/product-5242789.html for £8.73. I received my copy within three days of ordering it. It is a worthy addition to any zombie fan's book collection and I'll give it a 7 out of 10 rating.

NOTE. My proposed meeting with my girlfriend did not go as planned. At the last minute she was refused entry to her flight by customs officials for what has to be the craziest and most draconian of reasons. She is a Russian citizen and in order to leave Russia a citizen must be able to show customs officials that they have enough funds to live on £60 per day. This money doesn't have to be spent abroad, it just has to be shown at the customs check in. Marina planned to spend 20 days with me, which meant she had to show the customs officials £1,200. This she did not have as I told her because she'd be living with me she wouldn't need to pay for food, drink and accommodation. All she needed to bring was some money for personal spending. How little we knew! To think that the authorities can dictate how much money a person must take abroad is just beyond comprehension! Suffice to say, we are heartbroken but also extremely angry at her treatment. The one good thing to come out of this sorry situation is that it has served to strengthen our love.

V Wars by Jonathan Maberry

Before I begin my review I'd just like to give you all the good news about my latest hospital operation. I had to go to Sunderland Eye Infirmary last Friday to have cataracts removed from my left eye. Both eyes are affected and I have noticed my vision worsening in recent months. If you think the black lines on my miniature figures have gotten thicker, this is the reason why! Anyway, the operation was a complete success. I was in the hospital just under two hours and the operation was both painless and quite short. I noticed a huge improvement in my eyesight as soon as I entered the recovery room. As a result, I now have near perfect vision in my left eye and best of all, I no longer have to wear glasses. For 43 years I have worn glasses, so to no longer need them has taken some getting used to. I thought I'd need at least three or four days to recover but I was feeling great as soon as the operation was over. Also, I did not have to wear an eye patch or have a bandage on my left eye. I left hospital feeling like a new man. Now everything I look at seems so much sharper and brighter. It is a truly remarkable transformation. Now, I can't wait to have my right eye operated on. That should take place next month.

So, onto the review. V Wars by  Jonathan Maberry is an anthology of short stories all set in a world created by Jonathan. A sweeping, threaded narrative of the global phenomenon known as the Vampire Wars! Mankind is silently infected by a millennia-old bacteria unknowingly exhumed by a scientific expedition in Antarctica. Now, in some rare cases, a person's so-called "junk DNA" becomes activated, and depending on their racial and ethnic heritage they begin to manifest one of the many diverse forms of the "others" that are the true basis for the legends of supernatural creatures. These aren't your usual vampires and werewolves - it goes much deeper than that. Conceived by Jonathan Maberry, V Wars features stories from various "frontlines" as reported by such contributors as Nancy Holder, Yvonne Navarro, James A. Moore, Gregory Frost, John Everson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Scott Nicholson (as well as Maberry himself, of course). The result is a compelling series of tales that create a unique chronicle of mankind's response to this sudden, hidden threat to humanity.

You all know I am a sucker (pun intended) for vampire stories and this one certainly pushed all the right buttons for me. I found it a thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable read. Quite often with anthologies, some stories stand out more than others and you often find good tales sitting alongside bad tales. With V Wars, however, I felt that all the stories were worthy of inclusion and that there wasn't a bad one amongst them. It was also refreshing to see that not all of the stories were set in America (although most are). Jonathan, himself, contributes the most to this anthology and I have long been a fan of his work. Suffice to say, I was immensely pleased to read his take on the vampire mythology and this is a series that can run and run.

Indeed, following on from the release of this book, IDW Publishing have recently began publishing a series of comics, also called V Wars, based on this anthology. It probably won't surprise you at all that I am collecting the comics as well. It was nice to be able to put pictures to the faces of some of the characters mentioned in the anthology.

I only have one criticism to make of the novel, and that is it features a truly ghastly front cover. It has been rendered in the style of a battered old paperback, which to me, just looks and feels wrong. It is not attention grabbing and I do not like it one bit.

V Wars by Jonathan Maberry is published by IDW Publishing and has a page count of 481 pages. It costs $9.99. I picked up my copy for £7.50 from Amazon.Co.UK. A Kindle edition costs £4.37 from Amazon.Co.UK. I liked it enough to give it an 8 out of 10 rating. It lost a point for the awful front cover. I hope there will be a second volume or more.

Vampires: A Hunter's Guide by Steve White and Mark Mckenzie-Ray

It is not just fellow bloggers and gamers who can surprise me with free gifts. Just last month I received an e-mail from Emily Heagerty, the Marketing Administrator of Osprey Books. She mentioned that I had reviewed one of their previous books - Zombies: a Hunter's Guide by Joseph McCullough. You can see my review here - http://vampifansworldoftheundead.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/zombies-hunters-guide.html
Note that this review was posted in November of 2010, meaning that Emily has an excellent memory. Anyway, she was wondering if I'd be interested in reviewing their latest book in this series - Vampires: a Hunter's Guide by Steve White and Mark Mckenzie-Ray. Naturally, I was very interested. So, a  few days later, I received a copy of the book in the post and was absolutely overjoyed.
The easiest way to tell you what this book is about is to quote the blurb from the back cover.
"For centuries, vampires have lurked in the shadows, preying upon the weak and defenceless. It is only thanks to a group of dedicated and powerful hunters that the vampire threat has remained largely suppressed and evidence of their existence confined to the whispers of myth and folklore. However, with world population centres booming, the vampires have found new hunting grounds in which to hide their activities and build their underground empires. Covens across the world have grown powerful. It is now only a matter of time before they step into the light and begin their war on humanity.
Vampires: a Hunter's Guide contains all the information necessary to recognise and combat this growing threat.After an exploration into the origins of these undead creatures, it examines the numerous vampire species and subspecies that exist around the world today, placing particular emphasis on the role of the vampire hunter in combating the rise of the undead throughout the centuries. Focusing on the hunters' weapons, tactics and skill sets, this book provides information on identifying and eliminating vampires, noting the best practices from hunters from around the world. With full-colour illustrations of predator and prey, this is the ultimate resource in the fight to save humanity from the vampires."
As with Zombies: a Hunter's Guide, this book works on the premise that vampires do exist and are at large in the world around us. Its tone is serious and I have nothing against that. The bulk of the book details the "facts" about vampires from five continents - Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and South America. The most prominent vampires from each continent are respectively, the Strigoi, the native American Wendigo (more myth than a reality), but more likely European vampire immigrants, the Asanbosam (a monkey-like hybrid), the Jiangshi (pronounced ching-shee) aka the hopping vampire, and finally the Chupacabra, aka the goat-sucker. Sub-species include dhampires, incubi and succubi, amongst others.
The vampire hunters collectively work for an organisation called Special Action Unit (SAU, pronounced "SAW") who are a covert branch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). These small groups of highly skilled agents operate across the globe in a hidden war against the vampire menace. Their tactics have evolved from many centuries of study of vampire hunters to give them the best chance to deal with the growing rise of vampires in the modern world.
Anyone  looking for a suitable background for a vampire hunting campaign set in contemporary times will find this book very useful. I could easily see it working best with a GURPS Horror campaign or with THW's After The Horsemen setting (with a little tweaking). To the casual reader it is an interesting read but hardly essential. To a vampire fan like myself, it is very much a "must have" book. I know that I got my copy for free, but I'd have happily paid for it.
My major criticism of the book is exactly the same as my criticism of Zombies: a Hunter's Guide, and that is that at 80 pages it only scratches the surface of the subject. I'm sure that a longer book could have covered more vampire types and mentioned a lot more on SAU weapons and tactics. It is nicely illustrated with a combination of black and white photos and drawings and some exceptional full colour illustrations.
Vampires: a Hunter's Guide costs £10.99 or $17.99 from Osprey Adventure Books. I give it a 7 out of 10 rating. I did enjoy it but I wish it had been a lot longer.

GURPS Zombies

Without any shadow of a doubt, GURPS 4th edition is my favourite role-playing system. If I was stranded on a desert island and could only take one gaming system with me then that game would be GURPS 4th edition. Last year Steve Jackson Games announced that they would be releasing the GURPS Zombies supplement. Ever since then this has been the book I have been waiting for more than any other book. As soon as the hard backed book went on sale I ordered it from SJG. Suffice to say, my expectations for this supplement were very high.
So bearing in mind my love of GURPS and my obsession with all things undead, this is not going to be an unbiased review.
This 160 page supplement is split into five sections and I'll give a brief description of each section before giving my overall review of the book.
Chapter 1 is entitled "Getting to Know Your Zombies" and is the chapter that should be read by everyone. It explores the five Ws and one H (How, What, When, Where, Who and Why) of folkloric and fictional zombies, establishing terms and tropes used throughout the book. For GMs, it is a treasury of ideas. For players, it's a source of worries - what parts will the GM use? For casual readers, it's the part without complex game stats.
Chapter 2 is entitled "Victims and Killers" and is the chapter that is the most beneficial to players, as it gives advice on creating and equipping PCs. Usually in GURPS it is recommended that starting PCs are built on 100 points but in GURPS Zombies, the default starting cost for a Hardened Survivor (think Vampifan on Day One) is 150 points. Depending upon your setting you could add lenses worth an extra 50 points to create a Born Zombie Killer, a Combat Monster, a Holy Warrior, a Magician or a Superhero. Alternatively, at the other end of the scale, you could play a Screaming Victim for just 25 points. For those wanting to play the villain there are templates for a Zombie Master (150 points) and his Creepy Assistant (75 points).
Chapter 3 is entitled "Zombies!" which will be of most use to the GM. From this chapter the GM can choose zombie types or create his own. There are plenty of choices here and amongst the pregenerated zombie types are B-Movie Ghouls (your typical Romero type zombie), Constructs, the  Cursed, Fantasy Monsters, Infected, Infested, Necromantic Reanimates, Shattered Minds, Techno-Zombies and finally, Zombie Bosses. Under each category are a number of alternative types based upon the heading premise. By the way, the point cost for the basic B-Movie Ghoul is -351 points. It does have a LOT of disadvantages and as an individual is quite easy to kill. But beware hordes of them.
Chapter 4 is entitled "Zombies in Play" which may be of use to the players. Those who like to strategise might first review the mechanics governing how zombies find, attack and infect heroes, but much of this depends on GM's decisions, so it won't all be reliable information! GMs can use this chapter to learn how to use his chosen zombies.
Chapter 5 is entitled "Zombified Campaigns" and as you'd expect, teaches you what to expect in a Zombies Campaign. Casual readers will find this chapter a useful source for non-GURPS campaign ideas. They might also find chapters 2, 3 and 4 inspiring, but they pull no punches when it comes to rules and stats.
As always, with any GURPS supplement, the book ends with a list of inspirational films, books, comics, video games and tabletop games relevant to the subject of the book, in this case, zombies. Inevitably, these lists can only scratch the surface and no doubt you'll wonder why x was left in but y was not included.
What I most like about GURPS in general and this supplement in particular, is the amount of detail it goes into. If you so desire, you can create the most realistic kind of game setting imaginable with rules for everything... and I do mean everything! However, this level of detail is not for everyone. Some GMs and players prefer fast-moving games with an emphasis on Hollywood-style action and fight sequences. No problem there. Just choose the rules that best suit your play. The point is, you don't have to use every rule that is written. You can choose the level of complexity for your games. I played a hell of a lot of GURPS 3rd edition. As more and more supplements came out the basic rules began to crack. Flaws appeared. The rules sometimes contradicted one another and it was clear that a major overhaul was required and desperately needed. Steve Jackson listened and acted upon the criticisms. GURPS 4th edition is in my opinion, the pinnacle of role-playing. Every rule change that was made was a change for the better. I believe that GURPS 4th edition is as close to perfection as you can get. Yes, I am biased. I was a huge fan of GURPS 3rd edition, despite its flaws but I am an even bigger fan of GURPS 4th edition.
GURPS Zombies is the supplement I have been waiting for all my adult life. I said at the beginning that I had very high expectations of this supplement. Those expectations were not only met but surpassed. It is the little details that I love. To give you just one small example, tell me what other game system provides rules for the possibility of becoming infected by blood splatter from a zombie? Shoot a zombie in the head from point blank range and there is a good chance that you'll get hit in the face or hand by the zombie's blood. Cut off a zombie's head with a katana, for example, and the blood spray from the zombie's neck has to go somewhere, doesn't it? GURPS Zombies provides the rules for this possibility... but only if you want this level of detail. It is an optional rule and could just as easily be ignored. I often hear people criticise GURPS for being too complex. Well, yes, GURPS can be incredibly complex but only if you want it be that complex. It can also be as simple and as fast-moving as you want.
I was chatting with Joe/Zabadak just last week and I was raving on about how good GURPS Zombies was. He asked a question I'm sure many of you are also thinking and that is if I love GURPS so much, why aren't I still playing it? The simplest answer to that is that GURPS is designed for players, that's players plural. I am a solo gamer. I suppose I could adapt the rules for solo play and believe me, I am sorely tempted now that I have read GURPS Zombies. If any game system would make me switch my allegiance away from ATZ-FFO it would be GURPS 4th edition. Prep work would take some time as I'd need to create Team Vampifan as PCs, along with a cast of NPCs for cops, civilians, gangers and soldiers, etc. This would be time consuming but a lot of fun. I do have LOTS of experience in creating GURPS PCs and NPCs and I already have quite a number of contemporary NPCs that could easily slot into a GURPS Zombies campaign. The thing is that I like ATZ-FFO, despite its many flaws. I am both comfortable and familiar with it. Switching to GURPS 4th edition is not beyond the realms of possibility. This system puts right all of the faults that are inherent with the simple skirmish rules of ATZ. But what is holding me back right now is that switching systems will be a huge step for me to take. Do I have the time in my already busy hobby life to accept this challenge? Probably not but now that I have GURPS Zombies I can feel the stirrings of a seismic change in my gaming choices. All I can say at this moment is watch this space.
GURPS Zombies is a hard-backed book with black and white illustrations inside. It was written by Sean Punch, a GURPS veteran and stalwart of Steve Jackson Games. It costs $29.95 for the hard back book or $19.95 for the PDF version. Given my unbiased review of this book you probably think I'm going to award it a 10 out of 10 rating? Well, you'd be wrong! GURPS Zombies get my first 11 out of 10 rating! And, yes, it does deserve that score! Biased? You bet!

Juggernaut by Adam Baker

Juggernaut by Adam Baker is a prequel to his earlier zombie apocalypse novel. Outpost. In Outpost, the world had been overrun by flesh eating zombies caused by a virus that came from outer space. Whereas Outpost was set on an oil rig in the Arctic Circle, Juggernaut is set in the blistering heat of the Iraqi Western Desert. So, from one temperature extreme to the other. The story takes place in the year 2005 during the time of the Allied invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.
A group of seven mercenaries and one Iraqi guide set out on a covert mission to locate a large stash of gold hidden away by men loyal to Saddam. They fly to their destination in two helicopters but upon arrival find nothing but death and destruction on a large scale. The valley they land in was the scene of a fierce battle that left no one alive, apart from an Iraqi diplomat/scientist who was hired to lead the survivors here. He knows far more than he is telling and through a series of flashbacks we learn the truth of what really happened in that valley of death.
The mercenaries are lead by a tough ass female called Lucy Whyte, which is rather unusual but then again, these are mercenaries. Her closet friend is Amanda Greenwald, the team's sniper. The rest of the team are made up of Huang the medic, Toon the SAW gunner and Voss the South African shotgunner. These five have worked together for many years. The two helicopter pilots, whom no one trusted, were hired at the last minute. They were called Gaunt and Raphael. Finally, was their Iraqi guide, Jabril, a man with many secrets. It must be obvious from the outset that few, if any of them, would survive this encounter. Sure enough, once the team learn the horrible truth that the dead can come back to life as zombies the body count rises. Lucy and Amanda are not without their faults, indeed none of them are exactly saints, but these two stand out from the rest as the two you hope will live. Whether they do or not I'll leave for you to find out but they were the only two I was rooting for. I'm just a sucker for strong female leads.
The story is fast paced, well written and exciting. My only quibble with it is the same one I had with Outpost and that is that I am not a fan of the way the zombies are created. They are just too alien for my somewhat traditional preferences. The story goes into more detail about how the zombies originated. Don't let my opinion put you off as your views may well differ to mine. I'm just not a big fan of techno-zombies.
The outbreak in the desert is ultimately contained but the final chapter sets the wheels in motion for a follow up novel in which the virus must surely go global to set up the events of the Outpost novel. Despite my reservations about the techno-zombies, I enjoyed Juggernaut enough to give it an 8 out of 10 rating. It is worth checking out, especially if you have already read Outpost.

The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater

The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride is Rhiannon Frater's sequel to The Tale of the Vampire Bride, which I reviewed last time. The blurb on the back cover of the book describes the novel thus -
"In The Tale of the Vampire Bride, Lady Glynis suffered great horrors at the hands of her evil vampire master, Count Vlad Dracula, and vowed she would one day escape him.
In The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride, Glynis learns to embrace the title of Countess Dracula as she sets in motion her plans to seek revenge on those who betrayed Glynis and her family to Dracula and to reunite with the man she loves.
Despite her ambitions, it soon becomes apparent that her life continues to be overshadowed by the ominous presence of Vlad Dracula.
Set in the 1820's against the lush gothic backdrop of Buda, Hungary, the tale of one vampire bride's quest for love, revenge and the right to determine her own way in life is a sweeping saga that will enthrall any reader who loves the beautiful, deadly vampires of old."
Lady Glynis Wright grows ever more powerful in this sequel. She has some very powerful allies, none more so than her 1000 year old vampire lover, Father Ignatius. He plays a major role in her life. Rhiannon adds numerous supernatural creatures to this story - a fallen angel called Astir, a dhampire called Gregor, and unnamed ghouls. In this sequel we get to learn a lot more about the vampire war that raged in Buda and the murky world of vampire politics. We, the readers, learn all of this, just as Glynis does, slowly and one piece at a time over the course of the novel. Inevitably, Glynis is forced to take sides, but there will be no spoilers from me.
Reading the two books back to back gave me a real pleasure. The writing style changes in volume 2. In volume 1, the story unfolded in a series of letters and journal entries from various characters. This was a device used by Bram Stoker in his iconic Dracula novel, and Rhiannon was clearly influenced by his writing style. In volume 2, the vast majority of the story is told via Glynis's journal entries, so we get less of an insight into the minds of the other characters. Personally, I didn't mind this change of emphasis, after all, Glynis is the heroine of the story and it is only right that she takes centre stage.
She still annoys me by stomping her foot when angered. But that is my only criticism of her as a character. I do like the way she grows ever more powerful and confident in her new life as a vampire.
Rhiannon, once said that her favourite literary couple in the novels she had wrote were Glynis and Ignatius. Much as I like them both, I can't agree with Rhiannon. I much preferred the  vampire lovers Amaliya and Cian from the Pretty When She Dies series, and the lesbian lovers, Jenni and Kate from the As The World Dies series. One thing I wish Rhiannon had done with the Vampire Bride series is to include a pronunciation guide to the names of the characters in the novel. She did this in the Pretty When She Dies novel and I found that very helpful. In the Vampire Bride novels the First Bride of Dracula is called Cneajna. I have no idea how to pronounce her name.
The proofreading issues I made about volume 1, still apply to volume 2. There are a few spelling mistakes and far too many words hyphenated unnecessarily. 
I should mention the front covers of the two novels as they both sport beautiful paintings by Claudia McKinney, featuring Megan Young as Lady Glynis. I can't imagine Glynis looking any different. Megan IS Glynis and of the two covers, I prefer the one for volume 2.
I bought the paperback version of this novel from Amazon for £9.05. It is considerably shorter than volume  1, running to 400 pages. Interestingly enough, the Kindle version costs £2.65, which is much dearer than the Kindle version for volume 1, which is much longer. I don't understand how that can be. I liked this novel just as much as volume 1, so I give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

The Tale of the Vampire Bride by Rhiannon Frater

By now, you should all know that I love vampire tales more than any other type of horror novel and also, that Rhiannon Frater is one of my all time favourite authors. So it pretty much stands to reason that this novel is going to be right up my street... and it is! I normally write my own description of the plot of the novel I am reviewing but after reading the introduction to this wonderful tale by Rhiannon herself, I thought I should simply copy her words as she sets up the story very eloquently and gives an insight into her mind as she prepared this story.
"In celebration of the new covers for the Vampire Bride Series and the interior overhaul of the trade paperback, I decided to share a bit about the back story of the series and the epic battle between the heroine, Lady Glynis, and the villain, Vlad Dracula.
The Tale of the Vampire Bride was born in a very vivid dream. Encapsulated in the mind of Lady Glynis Wright, I bore witness with breathless anticipation of the events of the first chapter of this novel while they unfolded, I dreaded where the carriage would carry the family from England and when it rolled into the courtyard of a formidable, yet crumbling castle in the Carpathian Mountains, my fears were confirmed. I awakened with the green eyes of Count Vlad Dracula searing into my soul.
Immediately I knew I had to write the tale of the fourth Bride of Dracula. It didn't take long for me to fall utterly in love with Glynis, her world and her struggle to free herself from the most villainous and evil vampire of all time.
The challenges of writing a novel that takes place in the 1820's were difficult enough, but capturing the personality of a legendary character from one of the greatest books in literature, Bram Stoker's Dracula, was incredibly daunting.Stoker's novel is one of my favorites of all time, but I still felt I truly did not understand the vampire. Since Count Dracula is only seen through the eyes of his enemies in the novel, I decided to delve deeper and read about the Romanian hero, Vlad Tepes. I immersed myself in the tales of Vlad the Impaler, struggling to understand how a man could be so cruel, so violent, yet so revered by his people. Slowly I began to see a pattern in his actions, his strict adherence to his own moral code of what was right or wrong. I remember reading one terrible story about him killing a woman for not properly mending her husband's clothing and finally grasping the key component to the personality of Count Dracula. His absolutely unyielding viewpoint on how the world should operate and his role in ruling it made him the perfect, terrible villain in Glynis's life.
Lady Glynis is a rebel. She chaffs against society and all its rules. Though she is still an aristocrat through and through, she defies the strict moral codes of her time. That she should become the Bride of Dracula is not only ironic, but sets up an adversarial relationship between the two that is sometimes difficult to witness. The word "bride" in the title of this book does not imply the happily-in-love woman on  the day of her wedding, but the designation of a female vampire created by a male vampire. Glynis's beginnings as Dracula's Bride are not born out of love but violence and blood. Glynis may be the Bride of Dracula, but he is her tormentor, her abuser, and her nemesis. This dichotomy sets the stage for their battle for control of Glynis's life.
Without a doubt, Lady Glynis is our heroine and Vlad Dracula is our villain. Yet there are many more characters in this epic tale that will choose sides and impact the tale of the vampire bride named Glynis.
I hope you enjoy this first volume in her story and the many to follow."
I certainly did enjoy this novel and I'm currently reading volume 2 - The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride, whilst eagerly awaiting volume 3 - The Lament of the Vampire Bride. This is a hefty tome, running to just over 600 pages. It is a real door-stopper of a book. I easily fell in love with Lady Glynis Wright, although her habit of stomping her feet when things don't go her way did become irritating after a while. Other than that one minor point I couldn't find anything to complain about or criticise story-wise. However, proofreading was a bit dodgy with a few misspelt words and far too many words that had been hyphenated unnecessarily. Clearly something that had not been picked up on when the book changed to a different format. That is not Rhiannon's fault but it should have been picked up by a competent proofreader.
I bought the paperback version of the book for £10.42 from Amazon. It is also available in Kindle format for £1.84. I enjoyed it immensely and I'll happily give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Suffer the Children by Craig DiLouie

In my last Monthly Musings post I told you that I had been contacted by horror author Craig DiLouie to review his new vampire novel Suffer the Children. I finished reading it last week and now I am able to give it a full review. But first, what is it about? Here's Craig's description of the novel -
One day, the children die. Three days later, they come back.
And ask for blood.
With blood, they stop being dead. They become the children they once were.
But only for a short time.
Too soon, they die again. And need more blood to live ...
The average body holds ten pints of blood.
How far would you go for someone you love?
This is essentially a vampire novel, but it is a vampire novel unlike any other I have ever read. I normally prefer my vampire novels to feature strong, sexy female vampires, like Vampirella, Selene, Durham Red, Sonja Blue or Amaliya Vezorak. This could have made me an unsuitable critic to review a book like this, that is so far removed from my normal comfort zone. But here's the rub. Good fiction is good fiction irrespective of the genre and this is extremely well written. Despite the fact that I prefer more action-packed yarns, I can still appreciate a good cerebral thriller. It's not all blood and guts and action with me! This is a novel that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It involves a small group of people, all related to each other, either through family ties or more often than not because they are friends and neighbours. Some have children of their own, some like the doctor and nurse do not, but because of their profession they are closely tied to those families with children. The decisions that all must take during the event known as the Herod Syndrome has deep and lasting effects on them all. As Craig rightly asks, how far would you, as a parent, go to keep your child alive? This is the core concept of the novel. I have no intention of giving away the ending but the deeper I got into the novel, the more I kept thinking that it couldn't possibly have a happy ending. If you want to find out if I was right, then I can highly recommend you read this outstanding novel. Sorry, no clues or spoilers from me about the ending.

Author Craig DiLouie - a friend & a good bloke

Craig (that's him to the right of here) supplied me with a number of quotes from a few notable horror authors who have also read this novel -
"Not for the faint of heart." -Jonathan Maberry, author, Extinction Machine
"A stark, brutal and chilling vision of the end of days." -David Moody, author, Hater
"It will shake you to the core." -Joe McKinney, author, The Savage Dead
"Tense enough so that you can almost hear the clock ticking." -Jack Ketchum, author, The Girl Next Door
"The most disturbing book I've ever read." -Peter Clines, author, Ex-Heroes
"Chilling, compelling and convincing." -John Dixon, author, Phoenix Island
"A relentless burn of a novel." -Jason Bovberg, author, Under the Skin
"Rips out your heart and leaves you hanging on every word." -Jackie Druga, author, The Flu
"Brutal, painfully realistic and absolutely horrifying." -Eloise J. Knapp, author, The Undead Situation
"Will haunt you long after you finish reading." -Gareth Wood, author, Rise.
I can vouch for their reviews as I agree with every one of their comments. If you are of the opinion that vampire novels are not for you, this just might make you be think again. Forget all you think you know about vampires. This is a vampire tale for grown-ups but aware, it is not for the fainthearted. Even though it is not very graphic, it is, unquestionably, horrific and I have no hesitation in giving it a 9 out of 10 review.  The book is not available yet, but will be published as a joint venture between Simon and Schuster and Permuted Press on May 20, 2014. The novel will be published in trade paperback, popular eBook and audiobook formats.

Pretty When they Collide by Rhiannon Frater

Pretty When they Collide is a novella by Rhiannon Frater set before the events of the Pretty When She Dies trilogy.
The back cover describes the plot thus - "Cassandra is a dhampire - the offspring of a vampire and a mortal woman - and a thief of occult relics.
Aimee is a full-blooded witch that is bound to a powerful vampire who traffics in the slavery of supernatural beings.
Both are powerful, lonely and trapped in the dangerous world of vampires.
When Cassandra steals a relic from Aimee's vampire master, he targets her as his next acquisition. What he doesn't realise is that a chance encounter between Cassandra and Aimee ignited a spark between them that they cannot deny.
To survive, the women must find a way to band together and fight against the ruthless evil that conspires to enslave them forever."
Essentially, this is the story of how Aimee and Cassandra met and fell in love. It is a novella running to a mere 126 pages, but even so, it is well written, full of action and suspense and as a reader I was rooting for Aimee and Cassandra throughout. Both are very likeable characters. Rhiannon has this to say about them in the author's notes at the back of the book - "I won't lie. These two are probably my second favourite couple after Glynis and Ignatius in the Vampire Bride series. Their dynamic and chemistry is just so vibrant and real and pours off the page. Individually, they are really awesome characters, but together they are magnificent."
I haven't read her The Vampire Bride series but she has intrigued me enough that I want to buy this series. I love vampire novels and the Pretty When She Kills series was easily the best vampire trilogy I've read. So naturally, I wanted to read this spin off book and I was not disappointed. My only criticism, and it is a very minor one, is that I wish the story went on far longer. I hope Rhiannon writes more books in this series. She has said if the fans want them she will write them.
This novella costs £5.89 but I got my copy for £5.60 from Amazon. Not much of a saving, I know, but any saving is better than none. I'd rate this book as 9 out of 10. With a higher page count it would probably have got a 10 out of 10.

Where's the Zombie? by Paul Moran

This is a review of a book that I would have loved to have received as a Christmas or birthday present. The book is called Where's the Zombie? and it is written by Jen Wainwright and illustrated by Paul Moran. It is, if you hadn't guessed already, a Where's Wally? (or if you're American, Where's Waldo?) type of book. The book contains 17 double page spreads packed full of figures (humans and zombies for the most part) and your job is to find 10 family members who are all zombies, 10 first aid kits and 5 special items that are listed at the back of the book. That gives 25 separate things to find in each picture, meaning hours of fun.
The zombie apocalypse began when Joel Peters, a scientist at Hart Laboratories, New York, got exposed to a deadly virus named ZX-5, which he was developing. He was sent home and quarantined. However, he spread the infection to his family and they all somehow escaped. The Hart family consists of Joel, his wife Martha, four children (an older daughter, a son and two female twins), Joel's father and mother, and their two pets, a cat and a dog. Yes, even the animals were zombified. You can clearly see all ten members of the Hart family on the front cover above.
Please note that the front cover has a parental advisory notice because the book contains gruesome scenes. This is true. There is a lot of gore in the book, so it may not be suitable for very young children. The back of the book shows the answers to where the family and the first aid kits can be found, but it also gives you a further five items per scene to find and these are not shown in the answer pages. Most of them are easy to spot but some are fiendishly difficult. The family members are not too hard to find, although the cat, being the smallest, can be rather tricky to find. Finding all 10 first aid kits is a lot harder because they are so small.
I must admit that I found this book immensely enjoyable and it kept me quiet and busy for hours as I searched for the 25 items per scene. I was pleased to note that the book gave a nod to the original Wally/Waldo, in that he appears in one of the scenes (the fourth one set in Ringhill High School). He's the geek with a suitcase, one of the five special items you're asked to find. He isn't wearing his trademarked red and white hooped top but the face is definitely him. A very nice touch, I thought.
The book costs £9.99, but I bought my copy much cheaper at Amazon.co.uk for just £4.97. I'll  give it an 8 out of 10 rating. The illustrations are excellent but I do wonder if, once you find everything, would you go back to it again? Anyone looking for inspiration for survivor figures, civilians and/or zombies, or just colour schemes, could find much inspiration in here.

Pretty When She Destroys by Rhiannon Frater

Pretty When She Destroys by Rhiannon Frater is the third and final part of her vampire trilogy starring young vampire necromancer, Amaliya Verzorak. This novel is an absolute roller-coaster of a ride as all Hell breaks loose. The Summoner, Amaliya's sire is back, albeit in spirit form. He has taken control of the body of Bianca Leduc, a young student whom he sired at the same time as Amaliya. Whereas Amaliya took three days to rise from her shallow grave, Bianca took four days and thus they became separated. Both girls inherited some of the Summoner's necromantic powers, giving them control over the dead.
The Summoner wants to open a portal to the demon dimension in order to usher in a host of supernatural nasties and eternal night. Unless he can be stopped, humanity will end up as slaves to the demons or worse. In order to open the portal, the summoner needs thirteen magical rings that were hidden throughout the world by monks many centuries ago. Unfortunately for Amaliya and her friends he possesses twelve of the rings. However, Amaliya holds the thirteenth and she won't give it up without a fight to the death. Not only does Amaliya want to stop the Summoner from achieving his goal, she also wants to rescue Bianca.
Fortunately, she is not alone in her quest. She has her own Scooby Gang of misfits, made up of humans and supernatural entities. These include Cian, the vampire lord of Austin, Texas and Amaliya's lover; Samantha, Cian's ex-girlfriend and now a phasmagus (someone who could control the spirits of the dead); Benchley, his sister, Alexia and Jeff are human paranormal investigators and vampire hunters; Cassandra, Cian's dhampir daughter and her lover, Aimee, a white witch; Rachon, a black female vampire and one time ruler of Louisiana, Eduardo the were-coyote and finally, Baptiste the elemagus (a magic user who can control the elements).
Cassandra leaned forward in her chair. "We fight."
Eduardo grinned fiendishly. "Until we die."
The witch gave him a dire look. "Or win."
"Like Buffy and the Scoobies," Samantha said, sounding almost jovial.
The reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her friends is well made. At times this novel certainly steps into Buffy territory and as a lifelong fan of Ms. Summers, I say this is no bad thing. I admit that I had high hopes for the final part of this trilogy. I wanted action galore, suspense, drama and witty dialogue and a healthy dose of gore. I was not disappointed. Rhiannon far exceeded my expectations and created a fitting finale. If your knowledge of vampire novels is limited to the Twilight phenomena then be prepared to be blown away. In my humble opinion, this is exactly what a vampire novel should be like. Rhiannon pulls out all the stops to bring the trilogy to a fitting and welcome climax. It is scary, witty and exciting and character development is at the forefront of the story. The sex scenes, so prevalent in the first novel are toned down but romance still blossoms for Amaliya and Cian, Jeff and Samantha and Cassandra and Aimee.
Pretty When She Destroys has a recommended retail price of £8.32 but I picked up my copy for £7.76 at Amazon.UK, not much of a saving but better than none. Having awarded the first two novels in this trilogy 10/10 scores, I simply have to give this the same award. 10 out of 10 and an absolute belter of a series. Vampire fiction doesn't get any better than this!

Pretty When She Kills by Rhiannon Frater

Pretty When She Kills by Rhiannon Frater is the second part of her vampire trilogy featuring vampire necromancer Amaliya Vezorak and her vampire lover, Cian. Here's the blurb from the back cover of the book that briefly describes the plot.
"Amaliya Vezorak never believed in happy endings... When Amaliya harnessed her necromancer powers to defeat her greatest enemy, she believed she had finally found a happy ending with Cian, her lover and master of Austin. That happiness is short-lived when the vampire ruling over San Antonio attempts a takeover of Austin in order to capture Amaliya and use her power for his own devices.
To make matters worse, Samantha, Cian's ex-fiancée, is seeing ghosts; the untested vampire hunters of Austin are running scared as a supernatural war looms; a mysterious man is hunting Amaliya with the help of her one time lover, Pete; and Rachon, the Summoner's favourite progeny, appears to be out for revenge.
When Amaliya's grandmother, a powerful medium, experiences terrible visions that reveal there is another necromancer vampire and she is crying out for help, Amaliya realises happy endings do not come easily..."
Quite often in trilogies, the second part is the weakest of the three. In my opinion, that isn't so in this instance. Pretty When She Kills is every bit as good as Pretty When She Dies. Amaliya has grown more powerful since the first book and her control of the dead is impressive. Being a powerful vampire is impressive. Being a powerful vampire who can control a graveyard full of zombies to do her bidding is even more impressive. Little wonder then that other vampires from around Texas and further afield want to control Amaliya. The cast has grown now to the point where Amaliya and Cian have their own Scooby Gang, made up of an eclectic group of humans and supernatural beings, just as Buffy the Vampire Slayer had. Sure, Amaliya may be the number one target of powerful outside forces but she is not on her own and her allies are quite capable of defending each other. This is one of the things that I love about these books. The interplay between the principal characters crackles with great dialogue and much humour. Amaliya is exactly the kind of heroine I'd root for in a story. In the first book, she tended to run away from her problems. Now, she'll still run but if cornered she'll fight to a standstill. You can see her developing from a fledgling vampire into a kick ass killing machine. Actually, there is a lot of character development in Pretty When She Kills. Samantha, in particular, emerges from her shell to become a much liked character in her own right. Now she is no longer as annoying as she used to be and with her ghost vision she actually becomes a useful member of the group.
The story is fast paced and full of twists and turns. New characters are introduced and developed and old characters return, some unexpectedly. Rhiannon isn't afraid of killing off major characters and Amaliya suffers a heart rending loss when someone very dear to her is killed. No spoilers here, you'll have to read the book to see who it is. As with Pretty When She Dies, as soon as I read Pretty When She Kills, I wanted to read the final part of the trilogy, Pretty When She Destroys.
Pretty When She Kills costs £7.25 if bought at Amazon.UK. Once again, I enjoyed it so much I have to award it a 10 out of 10 rating. A superb addition to a superb series.

Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater

Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater is the first part of a trilogy of vampire novels. I have always been a sucker for vampire novels and I'll state right now that this is one of the best series of novels I have ever read. Until I read this trilogy my favourite vampires were Vampirella (obviously), Durham Red (from the 2000AD Strontium Dogs series), Selene (from the Underworld series of films) and Sonja Blue (from the Nancy A. Collins series of novels). Now I have another vampire heroine to add to my list - Amaliya (pronounced ah mal lee ya) Vezorak. Note that my top five favourite vampires are female although Angel and Spike from Angel and  Buffy the Vampire Slayer are just bubbling under in the next two slots.
Amaliya was a college student who was sired by one of her tutors. He was actually an ancient and powerful vampire necromancer known as The Summoner. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya soon realises she is but a pawn in his twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind. Born and raised in Texas, she heads for Austin, the state capital. Here she meets Cian (pronounced key inn). He rules Austin and unlike many other vampire lords, he does not have a coterie of vampires at his disposal. Fortunately for Amaliya, he proves to be a very reliable ally and he teaches his young protégé how to survive as a vampire. Not only does Amaliya survive, but she grows even more powerful under Cian's tutelage and she learns that she, too, can control the dead. Together with a small group of human allies, including Amaliya's grandmother (a wonderful character) and Cian's fiancé, Samantha (annoying and lovable in equal measures), they take on the Summoner in a climatic fight.
This was absolutely riveting from start to finish. It is very erotic, very violent, very gory and at times, laugh out loud funny. Amaliya and Cian are nothing like Bella and Edward from the Twilight series. They are proper hardcore vampires. Amaliya has her faults, (she is just a teenager after all) which made her more endearing to me. She is headstrong and swears a lot and she certainly needs Cian's caring and more cautious approach. Mind you, Cian is no wimp or pushover. He kicks ass when necessary. As soon as I read it I wanted to read the second novel in the series, Pretty When She Kills. I have been a huge fan of Rhiannon Frater for some time now and I had high hopes for this vampire series. My expectations were more than matched by Rhiannon's writing.
Please note that this novel also includes a small collection of Rhiannon's erotic short stories. I found them very enjoyable and an unexpected treat. Pretty When She Kills costs $10.99 or £6.88. I bought my copy from Amazon.UK for £5.93 and it was worth every penny. I loved this novel so much I will give it a perfect 10 out of 10 rating. It had everything that I wanted in a vampire novel.

Zombie Survival Manual by Sean T. Page

The Zombie Survival Manual by zombie survival expert Sean T. page is a 128 page hard backed book done in the style of a Haynes' car manual. It is fully illustrated throughout in colour by artist Ian Moores. The blurb on the back of the book asks, "what would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse? Would you know how to protect your family, forage for food and hold your own if confronted by a horde of the walking dead? Packed with vital information about how to prepare yourself and your home for the inevitable, the Zombie Survival Manual includes everything from the latest updates from world leaders in zombiology such as Dr. Khalid Ahmed to unarmed combat techniques and guidlines for zombie-proofing your home."
"With a comprehensive range of illustrations, maps, diagrams and step-by-step instructions, this manual is essential reading for those interested in protecting themselves, their families and society from the zombie menace. It also includes the chance to earn an invaluable zombie survival qualification by completing the examination at the end of the book."
Topics covered by the manual include -

• Zombies explained - what they are and how to deal with them.
• The science of zombiology - the facts that survivalists must know.
• The zombie apocalypse - what is it, when will it happen and why now?
• Zombies in history - the world's first timeline of events.
• Becoming a zombie survivalist - training the body and mind.
• Home preparation and defence - securing the home and a 90-day survival plan.
• Out and about in zombie town - movement, foraging and transportation in a world of the dead.
• A qualification in zombie survival - the chance to become certified.

The manual is written with Sean's trademark humour and wit and is a joy to read. Indeed, no zombie fan should be without this book. I simply can't praise it enough. As a more mature and less able-bodied fan of all things zombie-related, I was pleased to see a section of the book devoted to how the elderly and disabled may cope in a zombie apocalypse. It need not be "game over, man!" after all. We oldies still have a place in an apocalyptic society beyond being zombie fodder.
Adam, aka Zombie Ad, who owns the Zombie Shop recently reviewed the book on his blog here - http://zombieshop.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/zombie-survival-owners-apocalypse-manual.html and be sure to check out his competition on Facebook to win a copy of the book. He very kindly supplied me with my copy so that I may review it. Once again, many thanks, Adam. if you wish to purchase the book it costs £16.99, although you can get it considerably cheaper at Amazon.UK, where it retails for £11.99.
I have no hesitation in awarding the book a 10 out of 10 rating. It really is that good!

ATZ FFO supplement - High Rise to Hell

High Rise to Hell (hereafter referred to as HRTH) is the newest supplement for All Things Zombie - Final Fade Out by Two Hours Wargames. It is written by Ed Teixeira, the head honcho of THW.
HRTH is a scenario pack that takes place in the Prosperity Corporation headquarters situated in an urban centre wherever your campaign is set. The goal of the player characters is to search the building in the hope of finding the Cure to the zombie virus that has affected so many. Whether there is a Cure to be found there or not remains to be discovered. If it does exist there, it won't be easy to find.
Each floor of the building is a separate encounter with six storeys above ground and three underground. Access to the upper floors is via stairs or elevator, whilst access to the underground section is restricted to elevator only, and then only with a key card or a computer override.
The scenario features a wide variety of opponents to be dealt with. Most are hostile but some are friendly or neutral. Opposition includes the obvious - Pro Corp security personnel and scientists and of course, the ever present zombies. Smart zombies and Ragers, both of which were first detailed in the I, Zombie supplement, are also present, although their rules have been slightly tweaked to make them fit in with the high rise environment. The oddities that can be found include vampires, werewolves and aliens. The vampires are not of the traditional supernatural kind of legend but are genetically modified humans known as Stage One Vampires and the more powerful but rarer Stage Two Vampires. The aliens include a smattering of races from THW's 5150 universe. I'll say no more, so as to not spoil your surprise. Strictly speaking, the werewolves are also another alien race from the 5150 rulebook - the Lycaons. An important point to remember about Lycaons is that their wolf form is their natural form and they can transform into humans. They are not humans who can transform into wolf-like creatures. Human survivors, gangers and magic users (known as Casters) are also present. Full rules for all opposition are provided along with the option of using any of them beyond this scenario. Indeed, some of them could join your party to aid them in future encounters.
The scenario includes five pre-generated Grunts to be led by your Star, if you want to use them. There are one each of civilian, ganger, military, police and survivor. I'd imagine most folk would want to use their own crew and that's fine. However, by using the pre-generated Grunts, it allows some of their backstories and motivations to come to the fore when they meet certain characters in the high rise.
HRTH opens the world of ATZ to a host of exotic races and creatures, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view. Those looking for more variety in their campaign or tougher opposition when their crew are all Rep:5+ will most likely welcome the challenges brought by the fresh blood. However, some of you may decide that there is no place for anything but zombies in a zombie apocalypse. If that is the case, then this supplement is not for you. On the other hand, if you can accept the premise of a zombie apocalypse it isn't too big a leap of faith to accept vampires and Lycaons. The way the new races are introduced and presented has a logic to it that makes sense.  My personal opinion on the matter is that I can accept the concept of HRTH as canon in the world of my own ATZ campaign. However, it is not a scenario that I'd want to play until at least one year of campaign time had elapsed. HRTH is not a scenario for starting characters. One of the things that I particularly like about this supplement is that if you do successfully complete the encounters, there is scope for further encounters involving Pro Corp and the aliens.
Another big plus about this supplement is that it addresses what I felt was a major omission from the After The Horsemen rulebook, namely the lack of rules for the likes of vampires and werewolves. I also think it is a good idea introducing some of the races from the 5150 series. They add even more variety to the mix.
A PDF version of HRTH costs $17.00 from the THW webstore, whilst a hard copy costs $20.00. I ordered the hard copy and got the PDF version for free. I'd like to leave by mentioning a new ATZ project that Ed has just launched on Kickstarter. This is for a range of 28mm scale figures, including casters, vampires and werewolves found in HRTH as well as zombies, smart zombies and assorted human types. You can find them here - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1377449800/28mm-all-things-zombies-and-more-miniatures?ref=email
I've already made my pledge for it. The sculpts look very good indeed. Ed's Kickstarter project for the 15mm ATZ figures was a success, so hopefully, this will be too.

The Last Bastion of the Living by Rhiannon Frater

The Last Bastion of the Living by Rhiannon Frater is one part zombie apocalypse horror, one part love story and one part science fiction. As you may know by now, I am a big fan of the novels of Rhiannon Frater. Her zombie trilogy, As the World Dies was outstanding and I am eagerly awaiting part three of her vampire trilogy Pretty When She (Dies, Kills and Destroys). The Last Bastion of the Living is a stand alone novel and because it is part science fiction is very different from any other zombie apocalypse novel that I have read.
The blurb on the back cover sets the scene very well. "A walled city surrounded by lush land, protected by high mountain summits and fortified by a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, The Bastion remained humanity's last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. On one fateful day, the valley gate failed and the Inferi Scourge overran and destroyed the human settlements outside the walls, trapping the remaining survivors inside the city. Now, decades later, the remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city of dwindling resources... and dwindling hope."
"Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her entire life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is their only happiness."
"Then one day, Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate, reclaiming the lost lands and energising the populace with renewed hope for the future. The rewards for success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction."
The front cover of the novel shows Maria in a high-tech skintight costume holding a special zombie killing blade. She looks a lot like Selene (Kate Beckinsale) from the Underworld films, so you just know she's going to be a hard as nails, kick-ass killer... and she is!
I won't say anything else about the plot but the origin of the Inferi Scourge and why Maria is so successful at fighting them is very interesting. I absolutely adored this book, simply because it was so refreshingly different. Yes, the idea of a small band of survivors trying to survive against a relentless horde of zombies has been done to death many times. But full marks to Rhiannon for giving this tale such a different twist. The three elements of the story - romance, science fiction and zombie horror combine remarkably well and kept my interest high from start to finish. If you are looking for something different in your zombie horror fiction then I urge you to give this novel a try. I liked it so much that I'll give it a 9 out of 10 rating.

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleline Roux

Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux is the sequel to the excellent Allison Hewitt is Trapped. To quote the blurb on the back cover of the novel, "In the months since The Outbreak, Seattle has become a walled fortress - the Infected are kept at bay, and the survivors are trying to scrape back a life. But the city is rife with crime, religious cults and black-market dealings. And things are about to get worse.
When a group of frustrated fanatics, the "Repopulationists", destroy part of the wall, zombies start swarming the city. Sadie, devastated by the kidnapping of her young nephew, must find him and get them both out before it's too late. But the only escape is by sea, and she's seen for herself the horrible fate of those who tried that route before..."
Reading that, I thought that a lot of the novel would be taken up with Sadie's search for her nephew and her escape from Seattle but no, that part was all wrapped up in chapter two. Sadie and her nephew, Shane, do escape on a boat with a handful of other survivors. They don't get far before they beach on an a nearby island, where they spend most of the rest of the novel, surviving as best they can.
Sadie is a very different character to Allison Hewitt in that she is not so good in a fight and she has an annoying tendency to act first and think of the consequences later, usually when she realises that what she has done was monumentally stupid. Prior to the zombie apocalypse she used to be an illustrator, so I had some sympathy for her. However, there were times when I felt she needed a good slap to knock some common sense into her. For example, near the end of the novel she takes Shane and they sneak away in a little rowing boat because she was sick of the other survivors and she thought that Shane and her would be better off on their own. Silly woman! She rowed half way around the island before common sense hit her and she was forced to return to the others with her tail between her legs.
Sadie also spends a lot of the novel brooding about whether she is a good enough replacement mother for her young nephew Shane. She copes as best she can but she doesn't always deliver on her promises to him and that frustrates her and annoys Shane. Sadie is the first of the group of survivors from their boat to go off and explore the island. She promises Shane that she'll be back before sundown but when she discovers that the island is not uninhabited and that zombies dwell there it takes her a lot longer to return to Shane and the others.
Although the novel was set in a different part of America to Allison's adventures there was a nice piece of continuity between the two novels, as Sadie used to follow Allison's blog and was a big fan of her. Whenever she got stuck in a tricky situation (a common occurence!) she would often say, "I wonder what Allison would do?"
Sadie Walker is Stranded is certainly an entertaing zombie novel, but is not as good as Allison Hewitt is Trapped in my opinion. Therefore, I'd give it a 6 out of 10 rating.

This will be my last post before Christmas, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas. Incidentally, my next post will be on Boxing Day and I'll tell you all about my best Christmas present ever! Have fun!